The Devil's Cursed Witch novel Chapter 283

Various curse words were at the tip of Morpheus' tongue. A strong urge to look for his little sister's mate and confront that good-for-nothing man enveloped him, but given that it was physically impossible to do so at the moment--mostly because he didn't have any idea of that person's identity--and he lacked an understanding of how that imbecile wronged his sister, he had no choice but to stifle his anger. For now.

Morpheus changed the subject. "It must have been hard to survive on your own."

However, Aureus shook his head at that, a small smile lifting the corner of his handsome face. "I was fortunately raised by good people."

"Oh?" The older eagle was surprised. "You seem to be living happily in the human kingdom?"

"Hmm!" Aureus nodded. "The people I am with are like my family."

The golden eagle shared brief stories about his experiences for the last two decades--about how he lived in the Royal Palace of Megaris, more specifically about the people who changed his life: Queen Esther, Drayce, and Lady Tyra.

"Good to know that you were treated well. The King of Megaris must value you a lot."

"He does. He is like a brother to me."

"Still, if you ever wish to live in Agartha, to live among your kind, you are always welcome to stay with us. After all, this is your homeland as well."

"I will think about it," Aureus half-agreed as he thought about the people on the other side of the continent. 'There might come a day when I have to leave Megaris in order to stay away from Seren. When that time comes, I will live here with my mother's memories.'

Seeing the gloomy, somewhat longing expression on his nephew's face, Morpheus raised a brow as he made a certain guess. "By the way, although you are young by our people's standards, you seem to have reached adulthood already. You must have found someone who can be your mate?"

Morpheus expected the younger eagle to be flustered, to blush even, but instead, Aureus stayed quiet, pretending to be immersed in the sea of clouds before him.

"Oh?"

As his nephew didn't deny it, it was enough for Morpheus to understand that there was indeed someone but Aureus didn't want to talk about it now.

'I don't think he feels shy or uncomfortable to share it...that means there must be a complicated situation.'

Morpheus decided to let it go. "It's fine you don't want to answer. I was just trying to know how it feels to be an uncle who tries to be nosy about his nephew's love life."

"What about you, Morph? You must have married--I apologize, I mean, taken a mate? Will you introduce me to my aunt and cousins later? Aureus asked.

"I don't have a mate. Children are out of the question."

It surprised Aureus and he looked at Morpheus. "Don't have a mate yet? From what I know, you must already be around a thousand years old. Then..."

"I choose to live a free and easy life," Morpheus answered in a manner as if he had given this same excuse one too many times. After all, as one of the strongest warriors of the Divine Eagle Clan, he was one of the most eligible men in the kingdom in terms of status and purity of bloodline. Many females of the feathered race had been set up by Chief Agraleus and the elders to be his potential mate; however, he found all those females annoying.

Aureus probed, "Or you have someone you are waiting for?"

Morpheus didn't expect Aureus to get back at him being nosy and grinned in mischief. "Are you trying to act like a nosy nephew now?"

"Maybe," Aureus answered with a similar grin. If an outsider was to see them at the moment, that person would say the two handsome men truly belong to the same family.

"By now, the news of your arrival must have reached our clan. You will have to meet the rest of our kind," Morpheus informed him.

"Is it necessary to rush?" Aureus asked. "I can meet them tomorrow."

"Unfortunately, it is. 'Necessary' is putting it lightly. You might not know the importance of your existence, but if I were to copy my uncle's words--oh, he's a granduncle to you--a golden eagle is basically the foundation of the clan. You are the most supreme, the king of our clan. You will see me kneeling to you soon. I should have done it the moment I saw you but at that time I was only thinking about my sister's son--"

"Oh, no. Don't do that!" Aureus shivered in discomfort at the image of Morpheus or a bunch of white-haired grandfathers kneeling to him. "I will appreciate it more if you tell them to treat me as they would a junior clan member or member of the younger generation."

"That won't happen. You forget that though we are divine beasts, it does not change the fact we are beastmen--we are ruled by nature and instinct. The purity of bloodline determines hierarchy. The same way the largest and strongest predator leads the pack among wild animals, it is the truth of the world that a golden eagle is the ruler of all eagles in this land."

"I hope they won't expect me to stay here which I cannot listen to."

"No one can force you," Morpheus assured him. "Rather, no one will dare upset their only king. Given your age and the fact you do not have a mate, you are the precious one who can continue the purest divine bloodline so none of those old fogeys will dare upset you. Rest assured."

Aureus flinched, but then avoided his uncle's stare. "Good to know."

Morpheus did not move his eyes away, feeling nosy once more. He had a hunch he wanted to confirm. "But...may I know the reason why you are adamant on staying in that human kingdom? Your mother is not with you and I don't think it's just because of the King of Megaris. You can always go and meet him even if you live in Agartha."

"I have someone that I need to protect," Aureus answered, "which I will do even at the cost of my life."

Aureus didn't know what to say, and Morpheus merely waved his hand to dismiss the gloomy atmosphere. "But you can meet your granduncle. He is the current leader of the Divine Eagle clan and the Chief of the Shapeshifters. Your grandfather was the former leader, but after his death, Uncle Agraleus took his place." _{fгeewebnovёl.com}